topic Re: General Block Comments Question (Ctrl+ /) in SAS Programming

General Block Comments Question (Ctrl+ /)

pchappus — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 20:30:38 GMT

I wrote code that I ran one time to get a database in SAS. Instead of delete this code, I tried block commenting it out. It appears that when I do this, it also comments out the following line of code after the block comments unless I add a semicolon at the end of the block comment.

Why does this happen?

This is the code that is making my next line be a comment without the semicolon in the last line.

/*/*/*/*/*%LET PriorMo = %SYSFUNC(PUTN(%EVAL(&MO -1),z2.));*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/*%PUT &=PriorMo;*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/*%LET YrPriorMo = &Yr&PriorMo;*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/*%PUT &=YrPriorMo;*/*/*/*/*/

/*/*/*/*/*%SYMDEL PriorMo;*/*/*/*/*/

/*/*/*/*/*%LET strDbFilePathPrior = %SYSFUNC(CATX(\*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/* ,\\blcfs04\#BLCFS04\HLTHFIN\ONGOING\LTC\Valuation*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/* ,&Yr*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/* ,&YrPriorMo*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/* ,RGA*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/* ,People History.accdb)*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/* );*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/*%PUT &=strDbFilePathPrior;*/*/*/*/*/

/*/*/*/*/*%MsOfficeImport(&strDbFilePathPrior*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/* ,Cum Info*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/* ,SaDAPHlt.VMF_Cumulative_Info*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/* ,strFileType = ACCESS*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/* ,strSasGrpNm=ActProdMgmtHealth*/*/*/*/*/
/*/*/*/*/* );*/*/*/*/*/

/*/*/*/*/*%SYMDEL strDbFilePathPrior YrPriorMo;*/*/*/*/*/;

Re: General Block Comments Question (Ctrl+ /)

ballardw — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 20:48:54 GMT

HINT: Do not use multiple /*/*/* */*/*/ to comment code. The first /* starts a sequence but nested * and /* start confusing the processor.

Depending on exact code likely one or more of the /* get treated as the start of a * ; type comment. So the first statement following is treated as part of one of those comments, or require the ending ; as you mention.

Generally for blocks I use

to avoid that specific issue.

Re: General Block Comments Question (Ctrl+ /)

Tom — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 20:53:30 GMT

How and Why did you create that wonderful display of gibberish? From the subject line I suspect that you have mis-used some editor feature. Remember that editors don't really know what they are editing. They are just following rules someone gave them.

Inserting a bunch of random /* and */ characters into your program is not a good idea.

Note that /* ... */ comments (block comments) do NOT nest. So this line

/*/*/*/*/*%LET PriorMo = %SYSFUNC(PUTN(%EVAL(&MO -1),z2.));*/*/*/*/*/

Is this block comment

/*/*/*/*/*%LET PriorMo = %SYSFUNC(PUTN(%EVAL(&MO -1),z2.));*/

Followed by the beginning of a statement comment ( * .... ; )

*/*/*/*/

So now SAS is on the hunt for a semi-colon to end that comment that you started on the first line.